IROQUOIS FALLS......THE TOWN:

Originally, a 15 foot falls, along the mighty Abitibi River stood until the arrival of entrepreneur Frank Anson, who had the vision to establish, what, at one time was the largest pulp and paper mill on the continent.

His imagination sparked by the reports of two students he had grubstaked in 1909, Anson went North to access the potential of the Northern frontier. Who would believe the ramifications of this man's dream would result in development a modern community. 

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF EVENTS 

1909-  F.H. Anson gave two university students $1000, to prospect for gold. They returned a year later with no gold, but had found an abundance of lumber, perfect to open a mill. 

1910-  Anson investigated the site and lumber properties. 

1911-  Anson continued with his investigation. 

1912-  Anson sends several experts to Iroquois Falls mill site.  Ansons dream of Abitibi Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd. became known as "Anson's Folly".  Abitibi received one million acres of land. 

1913-  In February, men started clearing the site for Iroquois Falls.  Also the T.& N.O. rail line was being built to Iroquois Falls.  The first train arrived in September, with the steel needed to build the roof of the mill.  During the winter the land  was cleared for the present site of the mill.  One million dollars in Abitibi stock was offered to the public, but was later postponed because of bad market conditions.   

1914-  February 25th, the mills name was changed to Abitibi Power and  Paper Co. Ltd.. The foundation for the Paper Mill were started and the Sulphite plant building begun.  The company also started a dairy and a farm for its employees in Iroquois Falls.  Aug.4th, the first pulp was produced.  The newsprint output for that year    was 470,000 tons.  The first three houses were built in town.  The first Iroquois Hotel was built. The protestant Church started services in this year.  There were already thirty or more houses standing in Ansonville.  The first telegraph started operating in this year. 

1915-  On May 10th, the Ladies Aid Organization was formed, and the first railway station was built.  The people were aloud to elect their own mayor and council.  On June 4th, the town was incorporated.  The first Mayor was Samuel McCoubrey.  Two paper machines in the mill began production in June, and on July 11th the first newsprint was produces.  The employees of the mill joined a union, that year.  On October 11th, the first Public School opened, there were twenty-three students.

1916-  The Abitibi Mercantile store was built, and the first four giant paper machines were installed early in the year.  On July 25th a disastrous fire burnt the chapel.  On the 29th, the fire destroyed thirty-five houses in Iroquois Falls and all of Ansonville. 

1917-  The first grocery store was built in Ansonville, and was opened by the Trembleys.  It was situated on Main street. The first restaurant, clothing store, and St. Mark's Anglican Church were also built during 1917. 

1918-  A group of Russians settled in Ansonville.  The net earnings of the mill that year were $1,643,653.  In this year a group of people came to town from Twin Falls with the flu, it spread through town causing an epidemic.  One man and his son cared for    eighty people.  Classes from the public school overflowed into orange hall.

1919-  The Royal Bank of Canada was built on April 23rd.  A bowling alley and pool hall were built.  There were 250 people on the voter's list with only one woman on it; Mrs. Frank Scott.  The production of newsprint reached 70,000 tons per year. 

1920-  The North Star Theatre was built and the first women's Athletics Movement was started.  In August, a fire burned twenty-five houses in Iroquois Falls. An electrical system was installed in Ansonville for three blocks.  The National Pharmacy, an Army and Navy store was opened.  The Abitibi limits were estimated to contain over five million cords of spruce and other woods suitable for pulpwood and paper-making.

1921-  The post office was opened in Ansonville, as well as the St. Anne's Separate School in Iroquois Falls. The Ansonville Branch of the Royal Bank opened July 21st.  The Iroquois Falls Amateur Athletic Association was formed. In the winter the girls hockey team won supreme honours, in Northern Ontario.  The Iroquois Falls Continuation School began classes.  The mill production doubled with the installation of three new paper machines. A dam and powerhouse were built at Twin Falls giving 30,000 horsepower. The mill went on strike and closed down for a few months during this year. 

1922-  There were seven machines running in the mill, and three of them  were the largest in the world.  The mill was producing 50 tons of      newsprint a day.  The Iroquois Falls mill was called the largest on the continent.  A railway was built to the logging camps, and  a hockey rink was erected.  A few people in town bought cars. 

1923-  The United Church and Fire Hall were built.  In the winter a larger power plant was put in at Twin Falls.  A telephone system was installed by a private company of residents.  The Argyle Hotel burnt.  On November 1st Mr. Frank Harris Anson died. 

1924-  The mill capacity increased by 300 tons daily.  The power increased by 30,000 horsepower.  Abitibi was listed under the New York Stock Exchange.  In the spring a sewer system was built in Ansonville. 

1925-  By this year Ansonville and Montrock both had piped drinking water, and sewage facilities.  Mr. C.E. Bernier obtained the position of the forst postmaster in the community. 

1926-  Abitibi's net profit for this year was $2,961,995. 

1927-  The Financial Times stated that Abitibi's assets totalled over $178,000,000.  Abitibi had, at the time, 35% of the total investment in the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry. 

1928-  The Ukrainian Hall, the Funeral Home and the first public school in Ansonville were built.  The last Caribou in this area was sighted at Lake Abitibi.  A road was built linking Iroquois Falls and Cochrane.  The net profit for Abitibi this year was $4,562,855. 

1929-  Abitibi acquired the General Power and Paper Co. Ltd. in conjunction with Canada Power and Paper Corporation.  They also bought the Provincial Paper Ltd. 

1931-  The Ansonville branch of the Royal Bank closed. 

1932-  On September 10th Abitibi went bankrupt.  A receiver was appointed which lasted until 1946.  During this time no new equipment or buildings were made to the mill. 

1935-  The old Iroquois Falls public school became a high school. 

1936-  The Airport was built. 

1939-  During the war the school played a significant role through their cadet corps training, the operation of an aircraft, a spotting group, and the sale of war savings stamps.  One hundred and ninety-four former Iroquois Falls high school students served in the Canadian Armed Forces and sixteen of them made supreme sacrifices. 

1940-  In August, soldiers found themselves homes in Iroquois Falls, and  were helped by local people.  The streets were snow plough for the very first time that year. 

1944-  The Caisse Populaire was built.  The first motorized snow plough was brought to town. 

1946-  The student population at the high school was 213 and the staff was ten. 

1947-  The Iroquois Falls newsprint capability was 195,700 tons annually.  The board machine at the mill was speeded up and produced a better quality board. 

1948-  A construction program on the mill was started.  A major portion of it being done on the grinder room.  

1949-  The new grinder room, screen room, and wood room at the mill were  put into production.  Construction on the new powerhouse was          started.  The Catholic Church in Ansonville was built. 

1950-  All additions and renovations to the Iroquois Falls mill were finished including new boilers.  The net profit for the period between reorganization and the year ending May 1st 1950, was $92,134,420.  The net profit for this year was $22,863,833. 

1951-  The forty hour week was introduced to Iroquois Falls